Music to his Ears
by Loopstagirl
Summary: Virgil knew he would be fine staying in the house on his own - Scott had done it, after all. Things never go smoothly for a Tracy though, and Virgil is no exception.
1. Chapter 1

_Happy Birthday, Bee! I could hardly break with tradition and not get you something written for your birthday, could I? Especially after the gorgeous story you wrote for me earlier in the year. Hope you like it!_

 _Hope everyone else does to for that matter._

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Virgil breathed in deeply, held it, then let it out slowly, losing himself to the music pounding through his headphones. Nothing felt as good as the music washing over him; he could feel it in every fibre of his body. It might not be the standard music for a fifteen-year-old and Virgil knew his friends would scoff if they could hear what he was listening to. But he had a different appreciation for music than other boys his age and knew he heard things in a different way.

Closing his eyes, it didn't take long for his fingers to start twitching and his foot tapping. In his mind's eye, he could see himself playing the piece, standing in front of a grand audience in a huge venue. It would never happen – Virgil didn't like performing in front of large crowds - but it didn't stop him from dreaming. In his vision, he had John's confidence and Scott's ability to handle any situation thrown at him.

That was the true dream; being like his brothers.

Virgil scowled, flicking to a different song to try and stop himself from thinking about them. He hadn't felt bitter when John had left, not the way he had when Scott had gone off to college. Virgil had seen it as a betrayal, but he was older now and understood it was a chance to have a life away from Kansas. When John left, the only thing Virgil had felt was jealousy. He wanted that freedom…and it worked as motivation to work hard far more than any pep talk from his father would have done.

He wasn't going to admit the pride in Scott's voice the last time they had spoken and Virgil had told him about his report card made it all worth it.

A hand on his shoulder made Virgil jump. His whole body jerked and he was sure he actually left the bed for a split-second. Heart pounding, he looked up to find his father staring down at him, one eyebrow lifted in amusement. Trying to hide his surprise, Virgil removed his headphones. He could still hear the music quite clearly even with them resting around his neck and he grimaced, turning it down at his father's disapproving look.

"That would explain why you haven't heard me calling you for the last ten minutes."

"Sorry," Virgil said. He sat up, swinging his legs over the bed and looking up at his father. He knew if he was to stand, he was almost as tall as the man. He wanted a couple more growth spurts so he would be at least the same height as Scott. Deep down, Virgil wanted to be taller.

"The boys are ready to leave," his father continued. "Are you sure that you're going to be okay? I can still call your grandmother…"

"I'm fifteen, Dad. I'll be fine."

"But…"

"Scott stayed at home at fifteen with all of us and he was fine."

His father didn't have an answer to that. Virgil knew it was a low blow – it wasn't Scott's choice to be looking after all of them on his own at that age. But it was a reminder to his father that he had instinctively trusted his oldest and he should do the same to his middle son.

"Very well." The man seemed to give in, as if forcing himself to see that Virgil was indeed growing up. "The number for the centre and the hotel is on the coffee table downstairs. I'll call when we get there, but any problems, ring me. Or your grandmother, you understand?"

Virgil nodded, hiding his grin in case his father thought he wasn't taking the situation seriously enough and changed his mind about Virgil staying home. Gordon had a swimming contest on the other side of the state and it was so early the next morning their father had decided it would be easier to stay the night. It was the first time he had trusted Virgil to stay behind on his own. Virgil had remained behind in the past, but one of his older brothers had always been there to keep an eye on things.

Virgil knew it was party because of his grades. His father was seeing him as responsible and mature, and Virgil could barely contain his joy at that knowledge. His dad was finally starting to see him with the same eyes that he viewed the older ones.

Jeff put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a swift squeeze. Then he turned to leave, only to stop in the doorway.

"You could always still come…" He started, but Gordon's high voice yelling at the man to hurry up stopped him from saying more. Virgil was secretly glad when Alan started joining in. Although his brothers whining was annoying and grating to his musically attuned ears, it kept his father distracted and Jeff forgot to make another offer for Virgil to come too.

Virgil waved as the car pulled out, seeing Gordon's excited face through the rear window. His brother would become nervous the closer they got and be uncharacteristically irritable that evening. It was one of the reasons why Virgil didn't want to go – the only time Gordon ever snapped was before a race. John used to be the only one who could distract him, but luckily their father had learnt the tricks over time.

With the car gone, Virgil lay back on the bed. He put his headphones back on and turned up the volume, realising there was no one to tell him no. But the sound didn't drown out how empty the house was and Virgil slipped from his room and stood at the top of the stairs. Why had he never noticed before how big his own home was?

Virgil shook himself. He needed to find something to distract himself with.

He moved through to the kitchen, fixing himself a coffee. He had hated it when Scott had first allowed him to have a sip, his brother no older than he was now. But when he realised that there wasn't enough hours in the day to get his homework done if he wanted to make it to the top of his class, Virgil had taught himself to like it. All it took was waiting until his grandmother was distracted with the younger two and sneaking through to the kitchen before his father got home from work.

But with the weekend stretching ahead of him and no risk of being caught, Virgil found the drink wasn't nearly as nice as it normally was. All it made him feel was even more agitated than he had been before. His phone was out of his pocket and Scott's name was on the screen before Virgil realised what he was doing.

He quickly cancelled the call before it connected. Scott knew he was on his own tonight and would most likely check in at some point in the evening. Virgil didn't want to give him the satisfaction of calling first.

He made to pocket his phone when another idea hit him. Grinning, Virgil quickly punched in another number.

"' _lo?"_

"Hey, Bret," Virgil said, hitching himself up onto the kitchen counter as he balanced the phone. Virgil had considered Bret to be his best friend for over a year, although all of the older Tracys had tried to tell Virgil he was trouble. They just didn't know the difference between trouble and cool.

" _Virg, my man! What you doing?"_

"That's what I was calling for," Virgil said. He quickly outlined that he was home alone and could do with some company – making it seem like he was bored rather than getting freaked out in his own house.

Five minutes later and Virgil hopped off the top with a grin. He had promised video games and pizza if Bret would come over for a few hours. Jeff had always forbidden Virgil from inviting Bret over, and Virgil told himself it was for that reason alone Bret sounded excited. He didn't want to think about what else that tone of voice could mean.

But Virgil had other things to worry about. Taking the stairs two at a time, he randomly pulled things out of drawers and spread them around his room before hiding his keyboard. He needed Bret to think that he was as cool as the other boy, not someone who kept their bedroom clean out of fear of what his grandmother would do if she saw the mess he was making.

When six o'clock came around and the doorbell rung, Virgil had convinced himself that when he thrashed Bret on a few games and showed what he could do outside of school, the friendship would work both ways. Virgil knew his brothers were jealous; they wanted friends like Bret and that was why they warned Virgil not to look up to the other boy too much. But it wasn't like he hero-worshipped him or anything – they all knew that privilege was for Scott alone.

By the time the evening was over, Virgil knew Bret would be the one looking up to him. Then he opened the front door.

TBTBTB

"John!"

Scott saw his brother turn towards him and couldn't stop the grin from spreading over his face, despite the amount of people surrounding them. John elbowed his way through, a small duffel bag swung over his shoulder. Scott clapped his brother on the shoulder before picking up a similar bag that had been sitting at his feet.

"Let's get out of here," Scott said, leading the way through the busy airport. They exchanged pleasantries – mostly about their respective flights in – but there were too many people to strike up a proper conversation. It didn't take Scott long to find the hire car their father had left for them and finally, the doors were shutting and he was able to look at his brother properly.

"Someone looks like they suit college life," Scott said, his smile still in place. It was true; John looked good. Scott had been worried that his brother wouldn't come out of his shell enough, but judging by the healthy glow and twinkle in his eye, John had finally found where he properly belonged. Being intellectually stimulated would have worked wonders for him - they all knew school had never challenged John enough.

"You can talk. You've bulked up."

"It's muscle, I'll have you know," Scott said. He started the engine, twisting around to guide the car out of the space. He almost stalled it and John snorted in amusement. Scott shot him a reproachful look and started again. It had been a while since he had last driven a car; planes were his forte these days.

"So how is training?"

The first part of their journey went quickly. Scott had barely spoken to John since he had left for college. Between John's busy schedule and his own Air Force training, they only had snatches of conversation before one of them had to cut the call short. Scott had always been closest to Virgil growing up, but he found a true listener in John when they had hit their teens and it felt good to rekindle that now.

With only taking one wrong turning, it didn't take long before the world around them turned into familiar streets and buildings.

"Do you think Virgil has any idea?" John asked. He was curled up in the seat, a position Scott had never been able to maintain for any length of time. Scott shook his head.

"I spoke to Dad before my plane left. He thinks he has the house to himself for the evening."

"He won't take it the wrong way and think that Dad sent us to babysit?"

"When was the last time Virg got time with us without either Dad or the younger ones? He won't even consider it." Scott wasn't sure who he was reassuring – he hoped Virgil didn't take their surprise visit the wrong way or it would be a very awkward weekend. John had no deadlines and Scott had been owed time off and both brothers thought it would work perfectly if they could surprise Virgil by coming home.

Scott saw John nod out of the corner of his eye but knew his brother wasn't convinced. Virgil wanted so desperately to be seen as one of the older ones that Scott wasn't convinced he would see this as a chance for the brothers to spend time together or whether he would just think that their father didn't trust him.

The thoughts were playing on Scott's mind so much that he nearly missed their turning. Was this a bad idea? He shook his head, ignoring John's puzzled glance. Virgil could have a strop to rival Alan's, but he was still a good kid. Scott knew he would be pleased to see them, he _had_ to be.

"Do you hear that?" John suddenly said. It took Scott a few seconds to realise what his brother meant, then grinned.

"Sounds like someone is having a good time."

Even though they were on the edge of the town where they lived, music could be heard coming from nearby. One look at John's face told Scott that his brother had discovered the social side of college, for he didn't look disapproving the way he would have done a year ago. Then Scott decided that he had to be getting old for he felt like wincing at the music being played. This sort of thing wouldn't have happened back at the base – Scott knew he was out of touch with the real world having spent months at a military camp.

But Scott couldn't shake off the odd feeling as he drove towards home. The music was getting louder here and there was a knot in Scott's stomach that told him he wasn't going to like what he was about to find. As he turned into their street, John swore – something he wouldn't have done even in front of Scott before college – and Scott knew he had been right.

They had reached the source of the music. The house in question was lit up, every single light on as the music blared out from an open front door and open windows.

Scott's foot slipped on the pedal and this time he did stall the car. John didn't even glance at him, he was too busy staring open-mouthed at their house.

"Well," John eventually said as Scott tried to stop his hands from shaking in anger in order to restart the car. "He certainly outdid anything we ever did to piss off Dad."

"I'm going to kill him," Scott growled. He got the car started and shot down the street, driving far too fast and not caring. It didn't get him there any quicker though, for both their driveway and the street beyond were covered in cars and Scott was forced to drive past and park further down the road.

He jumped out of the car almost before the engine stopped, banging the door loudly behind him He wasn't sure anyone would even notice over the noise coming from the house. He could see people had spilled out onto the drive and knew it wouldn't be long before they were in the road as well. He set off towards the house, but John caught his arm.

"Calm down or you're only going to start a fight."

"I don't care."

"I do. Chances are someone has already called the cops and that half these kids are minors. You have to keep it together, Scott, or you'll be the one in trouble."

Scott shrugged off John's grip but forced himself to calm down. His brother was right. He had to handle this like an adult. He had just gone through months of training in regards to how to handle impossible situations. He could do this. But he wasn't sure he could be held responsible for his actions when he found Virgil.

He pushed past the people lingering in his driveway, telling them in no uncertain terms to get off their property before he kicked them off. John followed him and Scott was aware of his brother echoing his sentiments but in a softer tone. As a couple of people stumbled away, Scott felt a flicker of hope that he could rectify the situation.

"Scott."

He turned at John's voice, seeing his brother point to a car. Scott recognised it and his anger returned ten-fold.

"Isn't that-?"

"Chet Keyridge's car, yes. I told Virgil to stay away from Bret…"

"And you listened when Dad told you to stay away from Chet?"

Scott knew that John had a point. He had once got into trouble because of Chet Keyridge…and it was for that reason he had warned Virgil to stay away from Chet's little brother. The whole family was bad news.

Scott felt concern take the place of his anger. If the Keyridge's were involved, Scott suddenly wanted to make sure that Virgil was alright before Scott let his wrath out. Not waiting for John, Scott elbowed his way into the house.

People were everywhere. Scott wasn't aware that Virgil even _knew_ this many people, let alone invited them to a party. But his gut was telling him that these people weren't here because of Virgil. He grabbed the first guy he saw by the arm, nearly making him spill his drink.

"Where's Virgil?"

"Who?"

"Virgil Tracy," John said, stepping forward. "The kid's whose house this is."

"Never heard of him." The guy shrugged free of Scott's grip and disappeared. The two brothers exchanged looks and Scott sighed.

"We have to find him. Now."

He never thought his Air Force training would be used to invade his own home. But kicking a few shins and using his elbows was helping to make more of an impact than John trying to ask people to move.

Scott didn't care who stood in his way. He had to find his little brother.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the reviews! Hope you like this next bit!_

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Virgil stared despondently down at the bottle in his hand. He didn't know what he was drinking, but the burning in his throat and the smarting in his eyes after the first sip told him enough. His grandmother would kill him if she discovered he had been drinking underage. This was hardly his first taste of alcohol, but given the situation, Virgil didn't think it could get much worse.

He stood up, knowing he couldn't keep hiding out in the back yard and hoping no one would follow him out here. His whole body pounded with the music coming from the house and he was surprised the cops hadn't arrived yet. Deep down, part of him wanted them too. When Bret had first turned up, Virgil had been relieved. But when he realised the boy's older brother wasn't leaving and was on the phone, Virgil had known things were about to get out of control.

But he had already let Bret in. There was no way of stopping him from opening the door to whoever he liked. Virgil tried to be cool with it to start with, but when ten of Chet's friends turned up with cases of beer, Virgil knew he was done for. All he needed now was the police to show up and his father called. He would never be allowed to stay at home on his own again. He wondered if he could be arrested for something like this. What would that do to his hopes of wanting to follow in his brothers' footsteps?

Virgil took another swig from the bottle. The taste made him grimace, but the burn stopped him from focusing on his future – or lack of one. He didn't remember finishing a bottle already, but his foot clicked against one on the ground and Virgil wasn't sure anyone else had been out here. He glanced down, shrugged and took another swig. He was already done for – he at least wanted the experience of getting drunk once before his dad killed him.

Deciding to brave the house, Virgil picked his way up the familiar path. The music grew louder with every step he took and Virgil tried not to turn and run. The back door was open, but he still had to force his way in. He had no idea how many people were now in the house and if he was honest, Virgil didn't want to know. Everyone was shouting at each other over the music and couples were dancing in the hallway, the lounge and even the kitchen. A thud and laughter came floating down from upstairs.

Virgil found a space, leant against the wall and sunk down it. He buried his head in his knees and wished to be anywhere but here. He had no idea what he was going to do and he hated feeling this helpless. He wished he had never let Bret into the house.

A foot nudged him and Virgil looked up with a glare. The glare only deepened when he realised it was Bret standing over him, a beer in one hand and a smug look on his face.

"Nice place you got here," he drawled. His voice was goading and Virgil lurched to his feet. He didn't care he had to use the wall to steady himself.

"This is all your fault," Virgil said. Bret shrugged.

"Thought you needed to lighten up. Not my fault you are so serious."

"You're supposed to be my friend!"

"Friend? Your dad is rich, I thought it could be fun," Bret said. He sneered as he turned away and Virgil saw red. The sting of rejection and betrayal hurt and he realised every warning his family had given him had been true. But he had seen Bret as someone who could handle himself and Virgil had wanted that confidence. Now he was paying for it.

He didn't know if it was the beer or his anger spurring him on. But before Bret could take another step, Virgil launched himself at the other boy's back. Bret didn't stand a chance. Growing up play-fighting (and the occasional real fights) with four brothers meant Virgil was not easily thrown off and there was nothing Bret could do as Virgil bowled them both to the floor. He stayed on top of the boy, hitting anything he could reach. Virgil was in-between growth spurts and his punches lacked any true force.

"You're crazy!" Bret yelled, trying and failing to dislodge Virgil. People were staring and Virgil was drawn back to his senses when the music suddenly stopped. The silence was deafening. He stood up, breathing heavily.

"Get out of my house," he said quietly. Then he turned to look at the crowd that had gathered in the kitchen doorway.

"Get out!" The scream tore from him and Virgil snatched at Bret again, shoving him towards the door. Before he got there, a tall figure blocked the entrance.

"Get your hands off my brother," Chet said menacingly. Virgil instantly let go, backing up. Chet had a reputation and although he didn't know the details, Virgil knew that reputation had once landed Scott in serious trouble. He had been a fool going after Bret while his brother was around.

Virgil swallowed, trying to take another step back. His way was blocked by the sheer number of people though and Virgil tried to ignore the way his hands trembled. These people were here because of Chet, not him. There was no one to help him. Chet grabbed Bret's chin and his lip curled at the splotches of colour over the boy's face. Then he turned to Virgil.

"I'm going to make you pay for that one," he said. He stalked closer and Virgil was fully aware of how much Chet was enjoying the power he had over him.

"Get out." Virgil tried to sound menacing, but his voice squeaked embarrassingly as his fear took over him. Chet threw back his head and roared with laughter, causing everyone in the room to follow suit. Virgil knew he would be crimson in shame. Never before had he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him the way he did right now. Chet eventually held up his hand and the room went silent.

"Say it again."

Virgil cleared his throat and willed his voice to work. "I said…"

Before he could finish, Chet started advancing again. Virgil stumbled back.

"I can't hear you."

"He said: get out."

Virgil blinked. He was here on his own. He had come to terms with there being no one to help him. He was sure the beer must have gone to his head for he was convinced he was seeing Scott step through the crowd. People melted away and Virgil shook his head slightly when John appeared behind Scott. Virgil hadn't noticed the crowd had been closing in on him until they all took a collective step back as Scott planted himself in front of Virgil.

Virgil only realised he wasn't hallucinating when John's hand landed on his shoulder.

"You okay?" John asked. Virgil managed to nod and his brother turned to stand side by side with Scott. Before anyone could stop him, Virgil also stepped forward. He glanced sideways and saw Scott had a face like thunder. But his eyes were soft as he glanced at Virgil and Virgil knew that right this instant, the anger wasn't directed at him.

"Well, well, Scott Tracy," Chet said. He rolled up his sleeves and smirked. It was the same look that had been on Bret's face. "You really think you can take me?"

"I know I can."

Virgil looked at his brother. He had always believed (perhaps wrongly) that Scott would win any fight. But something had changed in him since they had last been together. Scott looked stronger and more in control. Virgil knew he was telling the truth; he would be able to take Chet without breaking a sweat.

By the look on Chet's face, he was coming to the same conclusion.

"I hear you're with the Air Force now," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets and aiming for nonchalance. "Daddy think you needed straightening out? With your track record…"

Scott flushed and Virgil knew the stories were true: Chet was responsible for Scott being arrested. Now was not the time though. Chet stepped forward, shoving Scott back. Scott stumbled but was instantly on his guard and forced Chet away from him.

"Last warning: get out of my house."

"Or what?"

"Or I make you." The threat in Scott's voice was undeniable. Virgil moved closer, pushing past John.

"Scott…" He didn't know what he could say, how to explain. But he couldn't let his brother get into a fight because of him. Scott might win, but that didn't mean Chet wouldn't hurt him in the process.

"Listen to your whimpy brother, Tracy," Chet sneered.

Virgil forgot about him being older. He forgot how dangerous Chet was supposed to be. All he felt was anger. He refused to be helpless, refused to have to be rescued by his brothers' every time.

Without thinking, Virgil repeated his earlier actions. But it wasn't a boy his own age he launched himself at. He went straight for Chet, not caring he was older and stronger.

TBTBTB

"Virgil, no!"

Scott couldn't deny the rush of pride when Virgil reacted. He was no longer the child that Scott had left behind, but a young man who was prepared to defend both himself and those he cared about. But the big brother side of Scott was never going to let his younger siblings throw themselves into danger – especially not against someone such as Chet Keyridge.

He moved quickly, catching Virgil by the arm and pulling his brother back into him. Virgil struggled for a moment, fighting to get to Chet. But he must have realised there was no breaking Scott's hold and he fell still, panting. Scott glanced to his side and noticed John had vanished before turning his attention back to Chet.

"The police are on their way," Scott lied calmly. He felt Virgil tense in his grip and shifted until his hand was resting on Virgil's shoulder, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. "I suggest you take your friends and leave before you are all arrested. Your brother might be a kid, but you're the right age to have done for trespassing and I believe they are familiar with your name?"

It was Chet's reputation that had ultimately saved Scott a few years ago – the cops knew he had been set up and warned him to stay away from Chet. Scott still wasn't sure if it was their verbal warning or the utter panic when he had first been cuffed that convinced him in a way his father's words had never done.

Chet took a small step back. He had avoided trouble for this long.

"We're not scared." Bret stepped forward and Scott rolled his eyes. He had always been proud that Virgil looked up to him – and strove to make sure he was worthy of that attention. He wished it wasn't the same with every family. But Chet clearly was not going to be outdone by his brother and before Scott saw him moving, there was a blade in his hand.

Virgil shrunk back into him and Scott shifted until he could shield his own brother. But before he could say anything, every single light in the house suddenly went out.

"Back yard, now," Scott whispered to Virgil. They all knew their way around the house with their eyes shut. The same was not true of their guests. Scott gave Virgil a nudge before striding forward. His eyes adjusted quicker than Chet's and he had disarmed the man and got him in a headlock before Chet could do anything about it. Trusting his hold, Scott grabbed Bret by the arm with his free hand and manhandled both brothers towards the front door.

He pushed Bret out, not being gentle. Chet wouldn't have come if it wasn't for his brother. Feeling Chet struggling, Scott checked no one was watching before ramming his knee into Chet's stomach and dropping him to the floor. Using his foot, Scott rolled him out of the door and finally felt the events of his teens were behind him.

"If I ever see you around Virgil or any of my brothers again, you'll be leaving in a worse state," Scott said. As soon as he finished speaking, the lights in the house flared back on. The music also resumed, but someone was quick to turn it off. Scott felt there was a crowd behind him and Chet shot him a long glare before scrambling to his feet and moving for his truck. He grabbed his brother by the arm as he did so and Scott had a feeling Bret wouldn't trouble Virgil anymore. Chet wouldn't stand for being beaten again and so would steer clear. He was trouble, but he was a coward.

The lights meant people had seen Chet on the ground. They knew Scott meant business and it only took five minutes for everyone to hurry out. Scott moved towards the house and headed for the stairs, knowing that he was going to need to check each room thoroughly to ensure no unwelcome guests remained.

John appeared from around the side of the house just as Scott reached the front door. Scott lifted his eyebrows at his brother and John shrugged.

"Don't need a college degree to know how to trip a fuse box," he said innocently. Scott grinned and punched him on the shoulder, laughing lightly when John pretended it hurt. They were both silent as they reached the hallway though. The house was a mess. Scott didn't want to consider how long it was going to take them to clear up. In his mind, there was no option about it. While he would ensure that Virgil learnt his lesson, he also didn't want their father knowing about this. Not if he could help it.

There was a set look to John's face and Scott knew it meant he was thinking the same thing. Scott sighed, running a hand through his hair and feeling like it had been a long day. Something told him it was going to be an even longer night.

"I'll take upstairs if you take down," he said. John nodded, but his eyes were focused on something other than Scott. Scott shifted until he could see what John was looking at.

"You take up," Scott said quietly. "I've got this."

John gave him a tight smile and hurried up the stairs. Scott slowly approached Virgil. His brother was crouched down on the kitchen floor, Chet's knife in his hand. Scott dropped to his knees next to him, but made sure he didn't alarm Virgil. When his brother shifted – glancing quickly towards Scott before looking away again – Scott knew it was safe to move. Stretching out a hand, he covered Virgil's with his own and prised the knife from his reach. He closed the switchblade and shoved it into his own pocket. He would deal with it later.

He had been angry when he had seen the lights on at the house. But seeing how much larger his hands still were than Virgil's made that anger die away. He had been forced to grow up too quickly and hadn't wished that on any of his brothers. Virgil was growing up…but he was still Scott's little brother.

"Hey," Scott said quietly. "Talk to me."

"You're angry with me, aren't you?" Virgil mumbled. Scott shifted until he was sitting cross-legged in front of Virgil and forced his brother to look at him.

"Yes. I know Dad would have told you to make sure you didn't let anyone in and I know for a fact he told you Bret wasn't allowed over here."

Virgil visibly stiffened and Scott sighed. "But I also know that I didn't listen to his warnings about Chet and had to learn that lesson the hard way. There are some things we have to find out for ourselves and this was one of them. Besides, I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Virgil's head shot up so fast Scott was surprised his neck didn't click. Scott smiled, reaching out and ruffling Virgil's hair.

"You went for him. That was brave. The most stupid thing you could have done and I'll kill you if you do it again. But it was brave, Virg."

Scott could see his words filtering through to his brother. It would take a while before he got over the sting of betrayal he was no doubt feeling about what Bret had done. But although Scott didn't want to shake Virgil's trust in people, he hoped it would stop his brother from idolising people so completely – him included.

Scott rose to his feet and offered his hand down to his little brother.

"You're more like me than you know, Virgil," he said. He didn't comment on the tears in Virgil's eyes as his brother took the offered hand. By the time Virgil was standing, there was a beaming smile on his face. Scott rolled his eyes.

"I didn't say that was a good thing," he muttered. He moved towards the back door and opened it wider to let a draft air the house. John came down the stairs, his eyes calculating as he glanced between his brothers. Scott nodded softly – everything was alright.

"So what do we do now?" John asked, folding his arms across his chest as he looked around the messy room. Scott reached behind the fridge and pulled out the mop that he knew his grandmother kept there. He held it out to Virgil.

"We put our feet up after a long day," he said, eyes twinkling. Virgil scowled as he took the mop but the tension had gone from his body. He didn't complain as he turned to face the daunting task of cleaning up the house. He clearly understood things could have been a lot worse.


	3. Chapter 3

_Final chapter time! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews throughout this and hope you like this final part._

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"Scott?"

"Yeah?"

John looked at his brother. The twitch to his lips told John that Scott knew what he was going to say. John rolled his eyes and glanced over his shoulder again. He could hear Virgil singing as he mopped the kitchen. Or at least, attempted to mop. The teenager seemed to be spending more time attempting to not fall over said mop and John knew that Virgil wasn't in full control right now.

The two older brothers were sitting on the back step. They had only found one empty bottle in the yard and both were convinced no one had been out here apart from Virgil. John was chilly in the night air, but it was peaceful to sit here.

"How much do you reckon he has had?" John eventually asked, wincing when Virgil stumbled straight into a counter. He turned back. If he couldn't see Virgil, then maybe he could pretend that his kid brother wasn't drunk after a house party gone wrong.

"If he is anything like he was with coffee, it won't have taken much." Scott also looked around before shaking his head with a bemused expression. "I thought Dad catching you on the roof trying to set stuff on fire was bad enough."

"I had reasons for that!" John protested with a laugh.

"Smoke signals to aliens, wasn't it?" There was a teasing note in Scott's voice and John was reminded once again of how much he missed his family when he wasn't here. He didn't like to admit it – least of all to himself – but a small part of him was always counting down until he could return home.

"Shut up." John shoved his brother, but Scott didn't even flinch. Scott had always been stronger, but John knew he stood no chance now his brother had completed his first few months of training. It was no surprise that Chet had decided to flee rather than fight. At least John knew Scott would never deliberately hurt him. Against someone he was mad at, however… John didn't want to think about how deadly his brother had become in their time apart. Tonight wasn't about serious thoughts like that.

Then again, nothing else had really gone according to plan since he had arrived back in Kansas.

"Besides," John said. He glanced slyly at his brother again. "What about when Dad caught you with that girl? What was her name? Sandy?"

"Mandy," Scott said, but the moonlight was enough for John to make out the blush on Scott's face. John had been the only one old enough to understand why their father had been so furious.

"Talking of the past," John continued. "What actually happened between you and Chet?"

He remembered the time when Scott had hung around with the other boy. Both he and Virgil had been bitter about it, believing Chet was stealing their big brother. But John had never discovered why there had been a call from the cops in the middle of the night. Scott's countenance darkened.

"Some things are better left in the past," he said. Scott stood and shook off the mood. When John looked up at him, Scott smiled. John knew what that expression meant – he didn't want to shut John out, but neither was he going to tell him.

"How about we go and save our little brother from the mop?"

John nodded and climbed to his feet. "That's us. Saving the world one mop at a time."

They entered the kitchen and John felt the warmth seep into him as he shut the door. Scott neatly threw the bottle they had found into the trash and both turned to look at Virgil. They were just in time to see him slip again. Scott moved forward, steadying Virgil and taking the mop off him. He handed it to John, but John placed it to one side. He wasn't going to clean; he wanted to see how this played out.

"Virgil," Scott began. His hands rested on Virgil's shoulders. John leant against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He knew that tone of voice. Scott was moving in for a lecture.

"Answer me this honestly. How much have you had to drink?"

Virgil looked at him and John couldn't disguise his snort of amusement when Virgil only hiccupped in response. Scott lifted an eyebrow and his look was so stern it cut through Virgil's hazy mind.

"One and a half. Two, tops." Virgil's voice was sincere and John knew he was telling the truth.

Scott rolled his eyes and glanced at John. John smirked. One had been enough to make him lose his senses before college. Now, he knew he could hold his own against his brother if it ever turned into a challenge. Scott gave Virgil a nudge towards the stairs, then had to grab his arm again to stop him from falling over.

"It's late. You go to bed; we'll take care of this."

John looked around the mess, wondering how long it was going to take them to make good on Scott's promise. He hoped it looked worse than it was, for he planned to get some sleep that night.

"You're the bestest best…"

"Wait," John said. He stepped forward, cutting through Virgil's proclamations of how great Scott apparently was. "You can't send him to bed like that."

"Why not? He'll be exhausted tomorrow otherwise."

"It's a Saturday and we're home – Dad won't have expected him to go to bed early. He won't mind if Virg is tired. What he will mind is if he is hung over."

"I can't get hung over if I'm not even drunk," Virgil said. There was a definite slur to his words. Now the fear and the adrenaline had worn off, the alcohol had truly hit him. John was surprised it had taken this long.

"Good point." With his hands back on Virgil's shoulders, Scott navigated him into the nearest chair. It was clear he was agreeing with John, not Virgil. As Scott then moved towards the sink – snatching up a glass on his way – John reached for the bread. Toast was always his saviour after a night out.

It didn't take long for the two of them to get some fluid and food into their brother. Virgil's eyes started to droop as it helped sober him up and he began to feel how tired he was. His hand reached out blindly, knocking into one of the half-full bottles littering the table. Alertness returned and Virgil sat up to take hold of it properly. John grinned. Now Virgil had a taste of the beer, it seemed he was beginning to understand why Scott and John had spent the summer out on the porch with one each.

Of course, Scott wasn't allowing it. He took the bottle from Virgil and automatically passed it to John. Rather than setting it down, however, John sniffed the contents. It smelt fine, so he took a tiny sip. It tasted fine as well. John shrugged and perched on another stool, finishing the beer. Scott glanced over, but didn't say anything. They both knew they had reached a point in John's life where Scott couldn't pull the big brother card the way he could with Virgil.

Once the water had been drained and the toast finished though, John rested a hand on Virgil's shoulder.

"Go and get some sleep, kid," he said softly. Through unfocused eyes – although this time through tiredness – Virgil looked around the kitchen.

"I need to finish…" His voice trailed off and John squeezed his shoulder.

"We've got it. Go to bed, Virg."

Virgil didn't need prompting further than that, especially not when Scott nodded at him to go. As his footsteps faded away, John looked at Scott.

"You could tell him anything and he would do it."

"I know," Scott said. "That's what worries me."

"Maybe tonight will be a wake-up call." Stifling a yawn of his own, John picked up the mop and rolled his neck. "Time to save his ass?"

Scott nodded and started gathering up the empty bottles. Only their father's return would reveal if they had got away with it or not. But even if Virgil had asked Bret over against their father's wishes, he hadn't intended for any of this to happen. The scene they had walked in on earlier that evening was proof of that.

They would have covered for him anyway – it was what they did. But knowing the situation had been taken from Virgil's control and there had been nothing the fifteen-year-old could do about it meant the two older brothers would try their hardest to make sure their father never found out.

Besides, this was hardly the first party that John had cleared up from. He hid a grin as he worked. Scott might think he had blackmail material from what John had done as a young teenager. If only his brother knew what he got up to in his spare time at college…

TBTBTB

Virgil woke to a headache and a dry mouth.

He groaned, attempting to pull the covers back up over his head with the hope that dimming the light would grant him the sanctuary of sleep again. But the quilt refused to move and Virgil was forced to open an eye to see why. When his blurry vision finally focused on Scott sitting on the edge of the bed – pinning the duvets in place – Virgil opened the other eye.

"Wha'yo'want?"

"I think I prefer you drunk," Scott said mildly. "At least then you seem to think I'm wonderful."

"Go 'way." Unable to shift the covers, Virgil instead turned his back.

"So you don't want these then?"

Unable to resist, Virgil looked around. There were two painkillers and a glass of water in Scott's hand. Deciding to forgive him for the awakening, Virgil sat up and slumped back against the headboard. He held out his hand silently, not saying anything until he had swallowed the pills and drained the glass of water.

"John's making breakfast and there is coffee downstairs. A cold shower might also help."

Scott stood to leave and Virgil stared at him.

"Is that it? You're not going to rip into me about what happened last night?"

Scott sighed and turned back. Virgil kicked himself. He should have just stayed quiet, taken his brother's advice and got away with it.

"Did you plan for it to happen?"

"No."

"Did you try and stop people from entering the house?"

"Yes."

"Did you realise that Dad wasn't being just unfair and cruel and whatever else you called him by warning you away from Bret?"

Virgil mutely nodded. He was aware the glass of water had already helped his head. But the humiliation and anger over Bret's betrayal still hurt and he glanced away so Scott didn't see his emotions on his face. He should have known though. Scott always knew what he was thinking. By the time Virgil looked back, his brother was crouched in front of him.

"I think you're punishing yourself enough, Virg. You don't need me to tell you things got out of control and dangerous" he said, his voice soft. "And if you don't agree, Gordon won his race. You're going to have to deal with the kids being hyperactive when they get back later with a headache."

This time, Scott left the room. Virgil stared after him for a moment. He blamed his weakened state for the fact he wanted to bury himself under the covers and cry. But that was the reaction of a child. He wasn't a child anymore. Now his eyes had been opened to Bret, Virgil realised he had been a fool not listening to the rest of his family.

Gritting his teeth, Virgil forced himself out of bed and into the shower. If Scott was promising him coffee, then it meant his brother was _finally_ realising that Virgil wasn't one of the kids. There was no way the teenager was going to pass up on that opportunity to prove himself.

The shower helped to revive him and Virgil felt more alert as he headed downstairs. The smell of coffee and pancakes wafted up to greet him and he was relieved when it made his stomach growl with hunger rather than churn with nausea. He slipped into the kitchen just as John finished cooking and Virgil smiled appreciatively at the meal slipped in front of him.

"How are you feeling?"

It didn't escape Virgil's notice that John's voice was soft, his brother fully aware that Virgil could have a headache. Virgil made to answer, but found himself distracted by looking around. Unable to stop himself, he twisted in his seat and then leant back to see into the hallway.

There was absolutely no sign that the house had been almost trashed the night before.

"How did you-?" Virgil began, not quite sure how to word what was going through his mind. His brothers hadn't just tidied up. They had done so much more than that. By doing such a good job, Virgil knew they were prepared to cover for him with their father. There was no hint anything untoward had happened and Virgil knew they were planning on keeping it that way.

"Why?" He eventually muttered. His fingers curled around his mug, but he lost his appetite. He hadn't known his brothers were coming – the night could have ended up with him in a cell. Or even in hospital if Chet had had his way.

Instead, it was going to be like nothing had happened.

"You're our brother," John said. He slipped into the seat opposite him, pulling another loaded plate over. "Now eat up before it gets cold."

As John followed his own advice, Virgil picked up his fork. He felt humbled…and knew he was going to have to make it up to his siblings somehow. He just didn't know how.

He couldn't deny how much better he felt after clearing his plate, draining his mug and managing to persuade John to make him more. Not that John put up much of a protest though and Virgil couldn't help but feel his older brother was enjoying the attention.

"Where's Scott?"

"Moving the car," John said, expertly flipping another pancake onto Virgil's plate. "And checking the front."

Virgil nodded. With that many cars and people milling around, it made sense. He ate in silence for a moment but looked up at John when he was finished.

"Thank you."

He didn't just mean for the food and they both knew it. John reached over and ruffled his hair. Usually, Virgil would push him away, denying that he was a child and John couldn't treat him like that. But this time, he put up with it with nothing more than elaborate eye roll that made John burst out laughing.

Scott sauntered back in as Virgil picked up John's plate and took it with his to the sink. It was the least he could do and he was glad that neither of his brothers made an attempt to stop him. Both seemed to realise that he needed to do something to show his appreciation. Once he had washed up, Virgil could hear they were in the lounge. He hesitated, wondering if they would want him there. But they would have said if not and Virgil left the kitchen.

He grinned when he saw they had got the games console out. While they were grown-ups in Virgil's mind, seeing them do something as ordinary as this reassured him they hadn't become boring in their absence.

"What are you two actually doing here?" Virgil asked as he climbed over Scott's outstretched legs and grabbed the third controller, setting comfortably in-between them.

"Apart from coming to save your ass, you mean?" John asked and Virgil dug him in the ribs with his elbow.

"Coming to surprise you, believe it or not," Scott said. "Think you got one up on us for that one."

Virgil grimaced. Not only had he screwed up the night before, it seemed he had lost out on time with his brothers on his own. He wished he could turn back time and stop himself from calling Bret. Then again, Scott had been right. There were some things he had to learn the hard way and finding out Bret's true nature wasn't something that could be explained. Virgil shook his head, determined not to think about Bret now.

"What time is Dad due back?" He knew Scott must have spoken to the man. Scott glanced at him.

"After lunch. He's taking the kids out for breakfast and some sight-seeing apparently."

"It's Kansas, there is nothing to see," Virgil scoffed, relieved he hadn't had to go. Scott grinned at his tone, but the game loaded up and he was saved from answering.

"Best of three?" John asked as he selected multi-player. Scott nodded and Virgil grinned as he wriggled into a more comfortable position.

With no older brothers to distract him and his homework always up straight by the evening, Virgil had been allowed to play on the console more than before. His brothers were in for a surprise if they thought they had any chance of beating him.

But as the game started, Virgil suddenly realised what he could do to make it up to them. He was going to stop trying to be them. Instead, he was going to do better and prove to them once and for all that he was a Tracy.

And as a Tracy, nothing was going to stop him. Not Bret and his brother, not Virgil's own insecurities. He was going to prove them wrong and make them proud.

Settling in, Virgil grinned with a new found determination. The first step was to beat them at the game.

Then he would beat them at life.


End file.
